"One's a boy, right?" Arya questioned.
"Of course."
"Margaery is rather lucky."
"More than you know."
I chuckled, shaking my head. After another drink, I rose from my seat. A whole lot of eyes were on me and all so suddenly the air in the room felt thick. My affair with Margaery, while widely known in King's Landing the very moment it happened, hadn't seemed to reach so far North… well, not until my uncle so wonderfully rectified that.
"His Grace is Robert's son in every way!" One of the northmen at the feast cheered and laughed, raising his cup. "Long may he reign!"
"Long may he reign!"
"Lady or no, the storm sweeps every fair maiden off her legs, hahaha!"
The cheers deafened any form of disapproval. Of course, it wasn't too surprising for noblemen, even kings, to have bastards. Their former lord had one as well… to most men, it seemed more of a feat that I brought down a lady of a great house rather than something to be ashamed of.
"I'm going to get some fresh air."
Robb nodded before I turned away.
…
The last time I was in the Godswood of Winterfell, it hadn't been the best experience. Still… something had drawn me to it. No, not something, for I knew what it was; a thirst for knowledge. I sought to unravel the mysteries unknown to me - to gain any edge I could.
That… and I wanted to know where all this leads. The future tends to leave a bitter taste, but it's better to know it than to live in ignorance.
I stared at the heart tree as a soft wind blew over me. The sad frown didn't move an inch. I narrowed my eyes, focusing my greensight until I was in a daze. I found myself in a place I had only been to once before. I looked to the sprawling city below… it had definitely looked a bit better last time. Still, Meereen from the apex of the Great Pyramid remained a great view.
"I've been seeking you out."
I heard a voice behind me.
"Looks like your wish came true."
I looked back, smiling slightly. Did she find my dream state's contact details? Regardless, this is probably one of the better things that could have come out of it. I do have some important matters to talk about.
"I believe it was mutual," Daenerys said - not too far from the truth.
"So, what does princess stormborn seek from me?" I leaned back, spreading my arms across the balcony.
"First, your esteemed sellsword Dorian Daggerhand."
"... What about him?"
Hearing that name from her was something I didn't expect in the slightest. What in seven hells was Dorian up to?
"You look surprised." She noted, raising an eyebrow. "Didn't you send him to me?"
"Truth be told - no."
"How very strange. When he came to me, he said that you considered Ser Barristan's position at my court a waste of his talents and sent him as a replacement instead. He even had a rather convincing letter with your seal. It seems to me that your Dorian lied and forged the letter - against your will?"
"He's the greatest liar." I chuckled, shrugging my shoulders. "Though, I can always trust him to act in my favour."
What on earth is he cooking up?
"How can you be so confident?"
"Because I'm the only one who can give him what he wants. Dorian is a cunning individual, if anything… he knows this truth full well. Though, this turn of events does intrigue me, what was Ser Barristan's stance?"
"He chose to ignore the letter and remain at my side. Dorian had also acquired a dragon egg, seeking to use Ser Barristan to deliver it-"
"-He what?" I blinked, surprised. "A dragon egg… do those eggs grow on trees?"
"Not quite. He only made a contract with the triarchs of Volantis to assassinate me - which he seems to have no intention of fulfilling."
"Seems that I still have much to learn from him." I laughed, shaking my head. "So, how has Dorian served you?"
"He is a man of many talents, that much I cannot deny. He dealt with the Sons of the Harpy swiftly, improved the security of Meereen by a substantial amount and is now preparing the defences of the city against the impending attacks. He has also solved many financial woes of the freedmen and placed Meereen on the path of prosperity."
"... Impressive, indeed." I nodded. "Looks like he put you and Meereen on his back, solving every problem you'd ever have."
"Since you know him so well, could you guess the reasoning behind his actions?"
It seemed like she already knew but was seeking my perspective on it...
"If he's aiding you to this extent, it seems that he views you as an ally of mine rather than an enemy." I stroked my chin. "Mayhaps a little more than a mere ally…"
He did say he would deliver me gifts of great meaning - though not even in my wildest dreams did I think about one of them being Daenerys. Dorian is truly... a unique individual.
"In our very first meeting, he spoke of a unified world. A dream that only a single King and Queen could realise, side by side."
This is next-level shipping…
"And what do you think of such a world?" I questioned, curious.
"It is no more than a dream, I suppose. You did seem dedicated to your betrothed."
"For us to work in tandem, we don't need to be wed." I tilted my head slightly. "Surely we can come to some agreement that suits both of us. I help you, you help me - simple enough, no?
"You might be right for once." She nodded, stepping closer. "I assume you seek my forces for this Long Night you spoke of before."
"Mainly your dragons, but yes."
"That is a great commitment to make, Edric Storm. In exchange, it would be fair to expect something similar from you."
"Of course." I firmly nodded, looking into her violet eyes. "And what would that be, exactly?"
"The end of the Golden Company, and their false King's head."
"... Oh. Did matters sour between you and the fake Aegon?"
"How… do you know?" She frowned slightly.
"I wonder what they did to make you so deadset on their destruction."
"They attacked Meereen when I declined his offer of alliance." She answered.
"Out of the blue? Surely that was too risky, even for them…" I paused, raising an eyebrow. "I feel like there's something you're not telling me."
"..." She paused for a moment, no doubt contemplating. "They set my dragons loose."
"Heh." I smiled, trying not to laugh. "So, you chained your dragons, only for them to be set free by… oh, this is too much. Forgive me."
"And what would you have done?"
"I don't know - trained them? Dragons are your greatest asset yet you so carelessly stored them away like a toy that didn't interest you anymore. Seven hells, these dragons gave you everything of value that you have now, and you repay them with chains. It's good that they were set free and granted the chance to grow."
"You make it sound so simple. Just train them… as if I have not tried."
She looked less angry and more sorrowful, which made me change my tone. In her ideal world, undoubtedly, the dragons all listened to her every word, and, well, she didn't have to worry about them burning innocent people alive.
"Well… I understand why you did it, truly." I stepped forward and straightened myself, looking at the sky. "One dragon took an innocent person's life, and you thought that they were too dangerous to be kept in the wild. My magic made me feel the same way once. While I channelled my fury and hunted down all my foes during a melee, a great storm washed over King's Landing and even set entire buildings on fire. My own rage blinded me after nearly being squashed to death, so it never occurred to me… not until I stood before a weeping father the very next day."
"I could have very well stopped using my magic entirely, for fear of it hurting those I didn't intend to hurt… but where would I be now? Dead, most likely. Rather than hide from my power, I sought to master it. And so, here I am."
"... I've come to a similar conclusion because of Dorian," Daenerys remarked. "I must regain my dragons."
"A son will always remember his mother." I smiled. "No doubt, Aegon has tamed one for himself, however."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Expect the worst, and you'll never be surprised in this world." I shrugged, shaking my head. "This Aegon is a pretender, and the Golden Company is rather rich, so crushing them is like striking three birds with a single stone."
"If you could also aid with disbanding the coalition against me-"
"Do you also want me to kiss your feet and rule Meereen for you?"
"The former would be ideal if you bent the knee while doing so." Daenerys countered, matching my energy.
"Only in your dreams."
"This is one." She remarked.
"... Right." I chuckled, shaking my head. "That... is true."
"Well, what do you think of my offer?"
"... Sure, I'll hold your hand - only if I get majority of the spoils of war across the campaign."
I was intent on rapidly expanding the Realm's wealth anyway - it all fits rather nicely. Those 'glass gardens' weren't building themselves. Besides, buying out all the dragonglass in the known world wouldn't hurt, either. Euron is likely somewhere in the east as well, with there being no opportunity for him to cause chaos in Westeros.
If I could catch him...
"What would you consider a 'majority'?" Daenerys questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"We can discuss those finer details in person."
"... Dorian did teach you well, it seems."
"I have Seven Kingdoms to prepare against a world-ending threat; I'm sure you can understand."
"... Very well." She slowly nodded. "If you can arrive before I manage to defeat the coalition myself, we have an alliance."
"Oh, don't you worry, the winds have always been kind to me."
Right on cue, the connection was cut, and I spiralled back to the real world. It was cold and rather unforgiving, the usual North weather. I had grown rather used to it, however. The last time I was here, I stood alone... but that was no longer the case.
"What brings you to this grim forest, my lady?"
"I could ask you the same thing, Your Grace."
"Some ease in the uncertain future that awaits us all," I said, turning around and facing her. "Perhaps you feel the same?"
"In a way, yes. Once... it all seemed so simple." Sansa admitted, shaking her head. "I feel lost."
"We lose grip for even a moment, and life drifts us immediately off course. It's so much easier to drift away than struggle and steer it back in the right direction. Even worse, sometimes we do not even know the right direction..."
"What would you do in such a case?" She questioned.
"Steer it in the way that I believe is right... even if, in the end, I am wrong - it is better to have control of your destiny than not at all."
"It is easier for a King than a lady," Sansa remarked, stepping closer. "You have the right and ability to achieve everything your heart desires."
She was right, of course. No one had quite as much of control of their destiny as I did... though, come to think of it, did I really? From the very beginning, I was fated to either be the 'hero' or the failure who doomed the world. Sure, before then, I could do just about anything my heart desired, but those two endings were the only ones available to me.
Or so it seems, anyway.